Power Kite Forum - Best Newbie Kite?

Best Newbie Kite?

D4V3 - 1-7-2009 at 07:12 AM

I was looking at a few diff. models for my first "power" kite but I wanted some input from others who are more experienced...

I was considering the imp quattro III 09 or HQ Rush III (haven't picked a size for either one).
Are there any other models someone would recommend?
Any recommended website I should buy from? (There isn't a kite shop within approx 50 miles of my house.)

Thanks for your help!

Bladerunner - 1-7-2009 at 07:36 AM

Look for a beginer kite that is packaged with all the extras you need.

HQ's Beamer in 3m seems to be the most popular choice. It comes complete with kite killers ( safety leashes ) a stake ( to peg your kite down ) and a DVD to get you started.

This is a good kite + size. Most people hold on to this kite and go to it for their high wind kite later. This means that if you want to re-sell yours it should go pretty easy.

A 3m stable , quality kite should serve you best !

There are many good sellers on this forum. Check out the good traders list.

mougl - 1-7-2009 at 07:44 AM

3m is a great size to start on

The Beamer or the Hornet seem to be ideal. I tend to lean in the Hornets direction but then again, I'm a Peter Lynn fan :P

You really can't fo wrong with either kite. Both are very stable, and forgiving. Both will give you great power and fun for years to come!

D4V3 - 1-7-2009 at 08:12 AM

k thanks to both of you for your posts... I assume then that the actual model I pick isn't nearly as important as the size? Is there any particular brand I should avoid then?

Thanks again for your help; keep in mind I have zero experience flying a power kite and there are very minimal resources in my area in that regard so I'll have to rely mostly on the internet for advice and purchases.

:wee:

DAKITEZ - 1-7-2009 at 08:25 AM

where in the world are you? there might be someone close to you on this forum that wouldn't mind letting you try their gear.

what are your future plans with the kite? buggy, landboard, kite surfing or just flying?? This info. will help people point you in the right direction.

D4V3 - 1-7-2009 at 08:44 AM

I'm in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (USA). As of right now my plans are just to fly since there isn't much ability around here to surf or landboard.

f0rgiv3n - 1-7-2009 at 08:48 AM

my vote's for the peter lynn hornet, awesome kites.

Bladerunner - 1-7-2009 at 08:51 AM

You are part right !

Size is important but kites of the same size can act way different depending on shape and other things. You want a nice stable kite. Not a race kite.

You get what you pay for when buying new in this sport.

I don't want to say who to avoid but agree that you can't go wrong with . HQ, Peter Lynn. Ozone and Flexifoil are also good companies.

acampbell - 1-7-2009 at 09:59 AM

In no particular order...

Peter Lynn Hornet
HQ Beamer IV
Ozone Flow
Flexifoil Sting 2.4 or 3.3 m

Agreed that around 3m is the sweet spot for starting. These are 4-line kites where the Rush's are 2 or 3 line kites. Go 4-line if you can afford it. You will eventually anyway if you get into the sport. I have more notes here that some have found helpful...
http://www.coastalwindsports.com/ChoosingAKite.html

http://www.coastalwindsports.com/101FirstFlight4LineHandles....

Drewculous - 1-7-2009 at 10:04 AM

Ill chime in for peter lynn... great quality, good sellers too... but like acampbell said^^^ you wont go wrong with any of those kites.

But go with a 4 line kite for sure, even if you pick some off beat brand, you'll get a lot more use out of it down the road

snobdr - 1-7-2009 at 10:05 AM

D4V3 im located near lancaster and could probably help you out. Also Kiteplace.com is in york. Don who runs it would be more then happy to help you out. He also sells the HQ kites. Feel free to check either one of us out. We also belong to the NJ buggy club. You can check them out on the net.

ragden - 1-7-2009 at 11:54 AM

Amusing, I used to live in Carlisle and I am quite frequently in that area to visit friends who still live there. There are some places to fly, but it is a couple hours to drive. I always wondered if the fairgrounds in Carlisle would be a decent place to fly. Little hilly though, not sure how well it would work.

The beachs of WildWood are about 4hrs or so from you, and are a great place to fly, but not during Summer. It gets too crowded on the beach to fly safely during summer seasons. There is a small park in Baltimore I sometimes go to, when the wind direction is right.

I guess the question is, how far are you willing to drive? I have a few fixed bridle kites I would be happy to let you try...

D4V3 - 1-7-2009 at 06:18 PM

acampbell- awesome, thanks for those articles, I'll have to look them over tomorrow

Drewculous- ok thanks, I had the general idea that I would go with a 4-line kite from the get-go... I'm not often the overconfident type but I don't want to buy a 2-line and have to ugprade after a month of use :-\

snobdr- does Don have a brick and mortar store to go along with the website? If he does I might have to swing out that way for a visit... it seems like the HQ brand is pretty popular so I have a feeling I'll end up getting one of those; do you know if he sells used kites as well?

ragden- wow I had no idea there were so many kiters in PA lol! I will say that I've NEVER seen someone powerkiting here in my area, but, conveniently enough, there is a field in my back yard that I plan to kite in... it's used on the weekends for baseball and softball games but during the week there's never anyone there so it seems like the perfect spot for me to at least learn the ropes. I'm going to keep researching different models and try to get some more recommendations but I'll definitely get back to you if I think I want to try it out, thank you for the offer! :D

jaymzmn - 2-7-2009 at 07:36 AM

no one has mentioned a PKD BUSTER2 3metre?

you get a lot of bang for your buck with these kites...angle of attack adjustment that im pretty sure you dont get on any other kite of this price...

snobdr - 3-7-2009 at 06:11 AM

D4 don dosent have a store but give him a call im sure hell show you what he has

D4V3 - 5-7-2009 at 01:21 PM

Ok so I have it down to 2 (I think)... I can get the 3 meter Peter Lynn Hornet from awindofchange.com for $219.00 with free shipping (or $239.00 at coastalwindsports.com), or I can get the HQ Beamer IV 3.0 meter from kiteplace.com for $265.99 with free shipping (and a free tshirt ^_^).

They both appear to come with the same components (lines, handles, a bag, etc), but it seems that the Beamer is more popular and MUCH easier for me to buy. (What I mean is, it took me 45 minutes to find a USA-based shop that sells the hornet; overseas shipping cost is ridiculous.)

Does anybody else have any input that they'd like to add? Personally I think they're both a little expensive considering it's an entry-level kind of thing, but I do believe that it'll never really get replaced by another kite, it will just be redefined as a high wind kite. As a full time college student, cost is a HUGE obstacle lol so if there is another alternative that you feel is a better value, please post it. I don't mind paying a little more if it means better quality... I could buy a trashbag and some yarn for less than a dollar, but it's going to fly like a trashbag and yarn. :frog:

I could be totally wrong, but I feel like the Beamer is a little more solid of a product and may be more refined/more widely produced than the Peter Lynn, and that gives me some extra comfort in the quality department.

WIllardTheGrey - 5-7-2009 at 01:37 PM

awindofchange (Kent) Is a great seller just bought a used pl buggy and a new ozone kite from him. Awesome customer service and shipping was VERY reasonable and quick.

ripsessionkites - 5-7-2009 at 05:19 PM

plus on the Hornet ... we've been selling a lot in the 3m size.

works very well in those gusty conditions. new flier was in a buggy on the first day (after an hour of lessons) in winds from 15 knots gusty to 20 knots and the kite was super stable. yes, he didnt have previous kite flying sport kite flying experience.

you can fly the Hornet like a two line as well.

furbowski - 6-7-2009 at 03:24 AM

Quote:

[quote/]
I could be totally wrong, but I feel like the Beamer is a little more solid of a product and may be more refined/more widely produced than the Peter Lynn, and that gives me some extra comfort in the quality department.

HQ is a solid german company, getting better and better in careful but steady german style.

Peter Lynn is more of a maverick, and doesn't pay much attention to marketing, but has done some pretty innovative designs over the years.

kind of opposite sides of the corporate culture coin, but they both produce solid products. HQ will def present themselves a bit better, but quality on both is solid.

just my two cents...

ThePixelGuru - 10-7-2009 at 08:00 PM

Don't know if you bought your kite yet, but a few weeks ago I was exactly where you are so I thought I'd chime in.

I ended up picking up a Prism Stylus P.3 from Amazon.com for $120 (free shipping, too). Prism seems like a great kite company, though they're a little less talked about here because they don't make anything bigger than 2.5m these days. I went with the Stylus for a couple of reasons. Prism caught my eye because I already have a sweet little box kite from them and was pretty impressed with their quality, customer service and innovative designs (check out their Expandable Object series), so they were a natural choice for me when looking for a power kite.

Second, the Stylus is pretty cheap for a 2.5m kite, and it comes with everything you need to fly. It's a dual-line, so great to learn on, and I can put quad lines on it down the road when I'm a little better (and have the extra money for the handles and lines). The last reason was its reputation as a fast, speedy little foil. Apparently some consider the pull a little less than other foils of that size, but reportedly very fun to fly and spoken well of by a number of people on here. I figured as I got better and got some bigger kites this would become my high-wind kite, and I liked the idea of that niche being filled by a zippy little kite like the Stylus. It's just a bonus that it has no hard parts and packs up tiny - only a little bigger than my lunch bag. Durability is supposed to be great, too, though I haven't crashed it very hard (yet).

They are discontinued at this point, but a lot of places still have them in stock. Just hope you're not looking for the "Ice" color scheme - you'll have a tough time finding that one, though there's plenty of Coral and Seafoam. Like I said, not sure if you're still looking or if you bought your kite, but you mentioned an interest in cheaper alternatives so I thought I'd offer one. Regardless, happy flying and smooth winds!

kitejumper - 10-7-2009 at 08:24 PM

id get a 4 liner--if you fly a 2liner in too much wind,you can say goodbye to your kite-thats IF you are lucky enough to be able to let go of the straps in time--one time i was flying a 3m dual line in too much wind and i held on to the straps so i could let them go quickly--i was able to do so,but the kite went really far away and i was lucky to retrieve it--the alternative of holding on to it would have been MUCH worse of course,i most likely would have seen some hospital time--now i hardly ever fly it and never in high winds--4 liners are much easier to control and if u get overpowered u can let go without losing the kite,IFnyoure wearing kite killers--if u have zero experience w power kites,then take it REAL SLOW at first--its amazing how a little innocent 3meter piece of cloth can turn into a hideous monster that can flop u around like a rag doll with one sudden gust leaving u w little or no time to react.... so,let us know what u get and have some fun:singing:

trancein1 - 11-7-2009 at 10:31 AM

I was in the same boat as you are about 2 weeks ago, many ppl considered the Beamer but I wanted something a little more rare, has great performance, and great looking so I went for the PKD Brooza 4m. Amazing kite so stable and powerful. I got mine from www.bigkidkites.com one of the very few places here in US where you can get one. Talk to Jeff, he has been very helpful and has great knowledge on kites. On my recent flight I broke one of the bridles and he took it back and now I will have next a 5.5m Brooza (Green) I paid and extra $40 to get. He has also many other kites too, go to racekites.com and look under review section to read more about the Brooza's. You wont be disappointed. My back is still sore from flying around in 8mph winds. Hope this helps.

D4V3 - 25-7-2009 at 06:26 AM

yep lol I'm still looking...

I just found a Prism Stylus p2 Ice color for $60... Idk if I should bother with the 2 meter though or if I should keep looking and see if I find a better deal in a 3 meter- any suggestions?

edit: k so I ended up ordering it... $60 for a power kite, I just couldn't resist. Their site said it was the last one so hopefully they weren't actually sold out and cancel my order but we'll see how it goes I guess; If they cancel, I think I might just man up and buy the hornet. We'll see what happens and I'll definitely keep you guys posted. ;-)

Thanks again to everyone who posted, your advice has been invaluable to me!

here's the kite I just ordered:

Quick tutorial online

hmdeassis - 25-7-2009 at 08:12 PM

Hey everyone! :yes:

I found this site that offers some quick free tutorials for newbies. I'm certainly doing my home work before I get mine.

Check it out if you are a beginner.
http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-launch-and-land-your-pow...

Good luck!

Henrique

D4V3 - 29-7-2009 at 04:16 PM

I got my new kite today!! Dude it's so awesome! I was only able to fly it for about 5 minutes today because it started raining right away but I'll try to put some pictures on here as soon as I get a better chance to fly. :D

furbowski - 29-7-2009 at 10:07 PM

a prism snapshot was my first kite.... They make good kites for 2-liners, that p3 will have a lot to teach you!

seems that the p3 is about the same power as a 1.4m beamer.

start saving up for that 4-liner!

now that you are on the forum, you can look for a decent used kite on here for when you start to put together a quiver.

have fun with it!

ThePixelGuru - 31-7-2009 at 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by kitejumper
id get a 4 liner--if you fly a 2liner in too much wind,you can say goodbye to your kite-thats IF you are lucky enough to be able to let go of the straps in time--one time i was flying a 3m dual line in too much wind and i held on to the straps so i could let them go quickly--i was able to do so,but the kite went really far away and i was lucky to retrieve it--the alternative of holding on to it would have been MUCH worse of course,i most likely would have seen some hospital time--now i hardly ever fly it and never in high winds--4 liners are much easier to control and if u get overpowered u can let go without losing the kite,IFnyoure wearing kite killers--if u have zero experience w power kites,then take it REAL SLOW at first--its amazing how a little innocent 3meter piece of cloth can turn into a hideous monster that can flop u around like a rag doll with one sudden gust leaving u w little or no time to react.... so,let us know what u get and have some fun:singing:

I haven't actually had to ditch yet, but it seems like letting go of one strap has pretty much the same effect - kite folds and flaps in the wind and all the pull is gone. I feel like I could get my hand out of that wrist strap pretty quick if I had to, but like I said I haven't had to ditch yet so I (thankfully) haven't tried it in a real emergency situation. It's probably not quite as quick/easy as letting go of a handle, but it's still not difficult. Is there any reason that wouldn't work?

How's the kite working out for you, D4V3?

D4V3 - 1-8-2009 at 07:01 AM

lol the kite is great but the wind is terrible

It's been too gusty/stormy recently to fly... I can get it up in the air and have time to do a few loops but then the wind lets off and the kite falls. Other than that minor inconvenience, the kite is good, I haven't had any issues except getting a good steady wind. Thanks for asking! :wink2:

I already figured a way to self-launch in low winds too lol. If the winds are so low that the kite won't stay inflated while on the ground, wave it in the air a bit to get the cells open then lay it flat on its belly and fold the leading edge back about half way so that the leading edge is pointing up. Then when you begin to pull the lines to launch, the leading edge will lift up, inflating the cells, and the kite will take off. (This would probably be easier described with a video or pictures or something, maybe I'll get around to that today.)

I agree with your idea of bailing on a two-liner... if you can manage to let go of one of the straps, the kite will lose stability and fall. It's perhaps not the safest bail method in the world, considering how difficult it may be to get your hand loose if you're already being dragged, but if it's that big of a concern to you, you could either cut or otherwise modify one of your handstraps so that the loop is completed with a piece of velcro so that you can quickly release it in the event of an emergency.

fulhamatt - 2-8-2009 at 12:44 PM

Hi guys, i'm new to the sport aswell and settled on a Flexifoil Rage 3.5... Which has so far proved to be a complete beast.
I'm so thankful I bought a 4 line with kitekillers as a gust took me over the other day and I got dragged face first a good 10-15 metres downwind before I could react and let go... The moral of my story is, don't rely on your reflexes, because following my experience, things can go pear shaped in the blink of an eye. Kitekillers are now my best friend.

ThePixelGuru - 2-8-2009 at 03:32 PM

Threadjack relocated -> Follow to Dual-Line Kite Safety thread.

If you want to fly your foil in low winds, just work on keeping it moving to keep it inflated and airborne. You can walk left and right as you sweep the kite low in the opposite direction for some pull - if you run hard to the opposite side you can actually fly way past the edge of your normal wind window. I'm working on bringing it all the way around in a 360° when the wind lulls. Keeps the kite in the air and looks cool at the same time; two birds with one stone!

D4V3 - 11-9-2009 at 04:46 PM

Man am I glad I started small...

Yesterday I was out flying in some wicked winds that came through before today's storm, and I finally was able to learn first hand why it's important to start with a tiny kite. I'm not a very big guy as it is, but even with my Prism Stylus P2, I found myself leaning way back as the kite zipped through the center of the window, and a couple times I could swear that I felt my feet starting to slip on the ground (wishful thinking maybe :dunno: ). I don't know the exact windspeed, but the weather folks reported 18mph with 25+ gusts for my area... much stronger than our typical winds, that's for sure. Considering that the P2 is about 1.2m2, I can only imagine how the day would have been had I started with a 3m or bigger... I might not be typing this right now lol

So this was my first real humbling experience with the kite... It's a blast to fly, I love how fast it zips across the sky when the wind picks up. I'm unsure yet when/if I'm going to go bigger, though. The risks/dangers become much more apparent when you're clutching the handles and you feel the power surge first hand.

If any other newbie is reading this and is thinking about starting with a big kite, I hope you'll reconsider. If you decide to ignore our advice and go big, try not to hurt yourself too badly.

Here's a pic of my kite if anybody's curious :yes: